Cycle News Staff | March 30, 2019
The fireworks started early in the first of three 450cc Main Events at the third and final Triple Crown supercross of the 2019 season, the Houston Supercross. Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin went after his teammate and championship rival Cooper Webb very early on the opening lap, forcing his way by the points leader and then drifting right toward Webb through the ensuing whoop section as Webb set up to have the inside on the next right-hand corner. And Webb, to no one’s surprise, didn’t seem to take too kindly to it. Over the next few laps, Webb hounded Musquin as Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac gave chase, and as Honda’s Ken Roczen was out front looking like the Roczen of early 2017.
Webb took the inside on his teammate in a left-hander a few laps later and nearly T-boned Musquin, Webb’s front wheel contacting the side of Musquin’s matching KTM 450 SX/F as they exited the turn. Then, soon after, Webb did it again, taking the inside line across the start straightaway as Musquin attempted to squeeze Webb down into the Tuff Blox to make Webb hit the brakes early. Webb didn’t hit the brakes early.
Webb Wins Houston Supercross 2019
It was a statement race for Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb in more ways than one, but he took his sixth win of the year in Houston and extended his points lead to 17 with four rounds left to run. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB KOY
Webb used his front wheel to move Musquin out of the way. When he tagged Musquin, it straightened Musquin up just as he was going into a sand section, and he had no choice but to go off the track, barely keeping it on two wheels and losing two positions.
Webb went on to chase down Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Dean Wilson for second late in the race, and Roczen took a very popular victory in the first 450cc Main Event. Musquin was working on Wilson for third late in the main when he went off the track a second time, this time crashing on the slick concrete, but still, at the finish, Musquin seemed to have been gifted fifth place by Tomac in the final corner of the race, when Tomac inexplicably went wide exiting the final turn, skipped over a handful of ruts, and then let off the gas going up the finish-line jump while Musquin beat him to the line by a wheel. Webb and Wilson took second and third in the first 450cc Main Event, while Honda’s Cole Seely and Musquin rounded out the top five.
Wilson Third Overall In 450SX
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Dean Wilson is starting to look like a genuine, week-in, week-out contender. He was strong all night in Houston on his way to third overall, just bend Marvin Musquin in second. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB KOY
Roczen’s streak of bad luck continued in Houston. He won the opening main event going away, but off the start in the second main, he went down hard in the first turn and got up limping. He pulled out of the race and got his right big toe X-rayed. The exam came back negative so the question was mostly just about if he could deal with the pain in the third main event. Webb went out and dominated the second of the three main events while his teammate, Musquin, had a third mishap, crashing on his own in the sand while chasing his teammate down. Wilson ended up second in the main while Musquin recovered for third, just in front of Seely and Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM’s Justin Bogle had a very solid ride for fifth.
In the final main of the night, Webb didn’t push his luck. His teammate, Musquin, got the holeshot Webb ran as high as second, but Tomac relegated him to third about halfway through the main, and Webb seemed content to stay there and collect his sixth 450cc Supercross victory of the season, extending his points lead to 17 over second-placed Musquin with four rounds of racing left to run. Wilson was third overall, grabbing his first podium of the year, while Tomac was fourth and Seely rounded out the top five overall. Roczen was 10th overall, finishing 8th in the final main event of the night despite a very painful big toe.
Ferrandis Two Wins In A Row At Houston 250SX West
Dylan Ferrandis looked to be in control all night in Houston, and he took his second win in a row, narrowing the points gap to Adam Cianciarulo down to only 5 with two races left. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB KOY
In the 250cc class, it looked like it was going to be Adam Cianciarulo’s night, as the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki pilot went out and dominated the first of Houston’s three 250cc Main Events. Last week’s winner, and Cianciarulo’s only remaining championship rival, Dylan Ferrandis, came from behind to snare second late in the main from GEICO Honda’s RJ Hampshire.
But in the second main event, Cianciarulo looked to have the holeshot, only to lock bars with someone in the first turn, sending two riders careening off the track, and Cianciarulo also exiting right onto the concrete. Cianciarulo kept it on two wheels, but was near the tail end of the top 10 when he went down on the blind side of the Tunnel Jump and wrestled Justin Starling to a stop while straddling Starling’s front wheel. His motorcycle was also hit and he had to go into the pits to get adjustments made. He fought gallantly to end up 10th in the second main event, while Ferrandis took the win over Hampshire, Cianciarulo’s teammate Garret Marchbanks, Ferrandis’ teammate Colt Nichols, and JGR/Yoshimura Suzuki’s Jimmy Decotis. McAdoo, who was one of the two racers who ended up down on the outside of the first turn, ended up sixth.
Hampshire Back On 250SX West Podium At Houston
GEICO Honda’s RJ Hampshire was in the battle all night and took his first podium since his rookie season in 2015. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB KOY
In the final 250cc main event of the night, Nichols took the early lead over Ferrandis while Cianciarulo, having suffered a mediocre start, ended up getting collected in a crash in the whoops and rounded the opening lap in 13th. He fought his way up to third at the finish, but his 1-10-3 score was only good enough for fourth overall on the night, while Ferrandis ended up with the second win of his career—and in a row—with a 2-1-2 score. Hampshire ended up second overall, his second-ever podium (his first podium coming in his rookie season of 2015). Nichols, still not 100 percent after his big crash while leading a week ago, was third on the night with a 5-4-1 score.
Cianciarulo dropped 7 points to Ferrandis on the night and now leads the 250cc West by only 5 points with two rounds remaining. The 250cc West goes on a 1-week hiatus while the East takes over this coming weekend, but then they return to action in Denver a week later before they head to the 250cc East/West Shootout in Las Vegas to determine the 2019 champions.
The series now heads to Nashville, for the first time in the sport’s history, this coming Saturday night for round 14 of the championship, where the 450cc and the 250cc East will do battle on the infield of Nissan Stadium.
Houston Supercross Triple Crown 450SX Video Highlights
Houston Supercross Triple Crown 250SX West Video Highlights
Houston Supercross Results 2019
Houston Supercross Results 2019
Houston Supercross Results 2019
Houston Supercross Results 2019
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Houston Supercross Qualifying 2019
Houston Supercross qualifying has wrapped up at NRG Stadium, and many of the usual suspects are hovering around the top of the leaderboard, including Ken Roczen.
Ken Roczen Tops Houston Supercross 450SX Qualifying
Ken Roczen is the top qualifier for tonight’s Houston Supercross. Photos: Rob Koy
Roczen seems to be back up to speed again after a few less-than-Roczen-like rides just before last week’s Seattle Supercross where the Honda HRC Team rider started looking like his old self again. Roczen reeled off the quickest lap time in the 450SX with a 47.386, nearly a half-second better than the next-best rider Dean Wilson (47.438), on the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna.
Dean Wilson Quick In Houston SX Qualifying
Dean Wilson is again showing good speed.
Wilson is showing good speed as of late but needs to get good starts in tonight’s main events for him to have a shot at the overall win in what will be the third and final Triple Crown race of the season.
Eli Tomac looks good, as well. He recorded the third-quickest lap-time with a 47.580, followed by last week’s winner Marvin Musquin with a 47.879.
Points leader Cooper Webb is slightly off the pace. He’s back in eighth nearly a full second down on Roczen.
Eli Tomac Qualifies Third At Houston Supercross 2019
Eli Tomac is third quickest in 450SX qualifying.
Notable absentees include Chad Reed and Justin Brayton who were both injured last week at Seattle. Ben Lemay is filling in for Brayton on the Smartop/Bullfrog Spas Honda.
Josh Grant is again filling in for the injured Aaron Plessinger on the Monster Energy Yamaha Team. He’s qualified for the evening show but is approximately a second and a half off the pace.
Cianciarulo Quickest In Houston Supercross 250SX West Qualifying
Adam Cianciarulo is the top 250SX West qualifier.
In the 250SX West class, it’s the two riders at the top of the championship point standings who have been dueling it out for top honors going into tonight’s program. Right now, the points leader has a slight advantage. Cianciarulo has the quickest lap time over championship runner-up and last week’s winner Dylan Ferrandis. Cianciarulo clicked off a 47.431 and Ferrandis is right there with a 47.517. They are the only two 250SX riders in the 47-second range. Next-best in third with a 48.494 is Chris Blose on the number-111 Husqvarna.
RJ Hampshire and former points leader Colt Nichols round out the top five overall in the 250SX West class.
Here are your Houston Supercross Results 2019.
Houston Supercross 450SX Qualifying Results 2019
Houston Supercross 250SX West Qualifying Results 2019
